"Damien!" Cyrus cried out, unable to contain his tears as they streamed down his face. The tip of the blade had pierced his coat, sending a jolt of sharp, cold pain through him. Everything screeched to a halt, as if someone had hit a pause button. Cyrus' sorrowful visage held Remy's gaze captive. A detachment crept in, a chilling sensation like his spirit was untethering itself. Then, a wave of dizziness washed over him, unlike anything he'd ever experienced.As Remy lost his focus, Cyrus pulled the trigger.He shot Remy's hand, the one holding the knife. Pain lanced through Remy, yet he didn't make a sound. A deep frown creased his face as he let the weapon clatter to the ground. Cyrus wanted to apprehend Remy, but the beating had left him battered. He struggled to rise, clutching the gun tightly, prepared to defend himself if Remy attacked again.However, Remy made no move toward him. Instead, he walked over to his accomplice lying on the ground, and together, they disap
A cold, damp chill and the acrid bite of dust and stale tobacco filled Lauren's senses as she struggled to open her eyelids. Reality blurred with the remnants of a nightmare.Blurry and disoriented, she felt a pair of icy hands stroking her skin."Who's there?"Lauren's eyes snapped open, bulging wide like a startled deer. As she shifted her focus, a horrifying scene unfolded before her.Freddy sat by her bedside, his cold hands creeping along her slender waist, inching their way up, touching every inch of her skin."D-Don't touch me!" she rasped, the words laced with raw fear. A surge of adrenaline fueled a frantic struggle, but her limbs met only unyielding resistance. Only then did she realize that her hands and feet were bound. Helpless and trapped, she could only watch as Freddy's hands roamed over her body, feeling the burning humiliation coursing through her veins."Don't touch?" Freddy smirked, his lips close to her ear as his hand continued to roam over her body. His
"Yet, here you are, barging in, knowing full well I'm occupied. What a party pooper," Freddy grumbled, slowly re-fastening his belt, his displeasure evident on his face.The man in the blue suit flicked the cigarette butt to the ground. "You can indulge later. Zoe wants us to bring Lauren to her."Lauren's eyes darkened at the mention of Zoe's name, plunging her further into a pit of despair.…Jasper and Alyssa led Sean, Xavier, and the others to the western suburbs.Despite severe injuries, Cyrus insisted on leading a police team to the abandoned factory where both parties were expected to converge.They made efforts to keep Lauren's kidnapping under wraps, fearing it could negatively impact both the Beckett Group and the Harper Group, especially Newton. They knew he wouldn't take it well, and the risk of angering the kidnappers and endangering Lauren was too great.During the journey, Jasper learned from Landon that Cornelius might have come to harm, prompting him to call the
"Lauren isn't there?"Jasper and Alyssa's hearts sank at Angelina's words. "She's not here! I've combed the place, but there's no sign of her," Angelina choked out, her voice thick with emotion. Alyssa maintained her composure, speaking gently to Angelina. "Angelina, it's okay. You did your best in a difficult situation. Now, tell me everything from the beginning. Who informed you about Lauren's kidnapping and directed you to the abandoned factory in the western suburbs?""Mr. Cyrus and I were hot on the kidnappers' trail, but we were intercepted by the man who previously abducted Lauren!" Angelina recounted."It's him again!" Alyssa's heart hammered against her ribs. Lauren's enigmatic portrait, a doppelganger for Damien, taunted her memory."I was outmatched, so Cyrus decided to stall the man while I went to rescue Lauren," Angelina continued, her tone filled with frustration. "But the man had a female accomplice. "She fought me and deliberately let me stab her, severely in
"No, Jameson can't get wind of this!" Alyssa frowned, her grip tightening on Jasper's shoulder. "Think about it—if he finds out we're onto him, who's in the crosshairs?"Jasper met her gaze, understanding dawning in his eyes. "Amber.""Amber helped Axel escape the Millennium and provided intel that brought Josh down. This time, she'd risked everything to tell us about Lauren. She's clearly switched sides and become our ally."Confronting Jameson would put Amber in the line of fire. He's ruthless, and wouldn't hesitate to kill Amber just to vent!"Jasper's jaw clenched, a heavy weight settling in his chest. He pulled Alyssa close, his voice a low murmur against her hair. "You're too compassionate, Lyse. Unwilling to hurt anyone who's helped us, even a little.""Anyone with a conscience wouldn't stand by while Jameson does what he does," Alyssa countered, a bitter edge to her voice. "There must be a reason she follows him." Despite the bitterness, her gaze remained resolute. "As lon
Lauren's gaze locked onto Betty's hideous face, her eyes now ablaze with defiance. The lifelessness that had marred her eyes after the torture was replaced with a fierce emotion that only fueled Betty's anger further."Don't you dare look at me like that, you stupid bitch!" Betty spat, her eyes flashing with fury, eager to deliver another kick to Lauren before Zoe intervened. "That's enough. Save your anger for later," Zoe admonished Betty, halting her aggression.Mason let out a lazy yawn, breaking the tension. "Zoe, what's the point of dragging us all the way to this godforsaken place from different corners of the world? Couldn't you have chosen a more decent venue for our reunion?"Freddy shot him a cold glance. "Could you have witnessed this anywhere else? After all these years, you still sound like a spoiled brat.""Damn it, you little piece of—"Mason wanted to cuss Freddy out, but the woman in the red dress stopped him with a shake of her head.While the Hodgsons had gai
Someone sneakily took out a phone to call for help, but there was no phone signal at all!The Harpers were one of the big four, and they weren't averse to using shady methods. As such, they had connections on both sides of the law. Once childhood playmates, they had grown into cunning and self-serving individuals. How could they not be afraid?"I know what you are afraid of. But fear not, Lauren won't walk out of here alive tonight." Betty smirked haughtily and stared at Lauren with a crazed glint in her eyes. "We're all in this together. No one will ever know what happens to her tonight."Although Betty's words held a twisted truth, the men remained hesitant. The first person who walked toward Lauren was fired up."Hah! You're all so high and mighty in your own domain, but when you're needed the most, you can't even get your limp dick to stand up!" Zoe sneered as her provoking gaze landed on Freddy.After being continuously humiliated by the Taylors, the Becketts, and his own father
Jasper and Alyssa arrived at the abandoned factory just as Landon did.Landon stepped out of the car, his complexion pallid, his eyes emanating a chilling intensity. In the glow of the car's headlights, a menacing glint flickered in his gaze. "Where's Lauren? Does anyone have any updates?" Landon's eyes widened in desperation as he spoke, his voice cracking from the strain on his dry, cracked lips. His throat felt hoarse, each word a struggle to utter.Jasper noticed everything, feeling an unspeakable pain gripping his heart. Witnessing Landon's successive blows, he understood that despite his outward appearance, Landon was likely on the verge of an emotional collapse."Angelina has already arrived. She's tracking them, but I can't reach her when I tried calling her just now!"Alyssa whipped out her phone and gritted her teeth. "Phone signals are jammed here. The kidnappers chose this place on purpose! Motherfucking bastards!""Alyssa, stay calm. I anticipated this. Xavier has reached